Top Art Advisor Wendy Goldsmith Touts Experience as Her Greatest Asset, Thinks Verbiage Is Overrated, and Is Here for ‘Any Animal Rescue’

Experience, integrity, and expertise: those are the virtues that Wendy Goldsmith espouses in her professional and personal life. The founder of Goldsmith Art Advisory knows the inner machinations like few others. Navigating the rapid clip of the market today, Goldsmith believes that an eye for longevity—a rarer and rarer talent—allows her to stand apart.  

It’s a skill she’s been honing for decades. Goldsmith got her start at Christie’s 19th Century European Art department in London, where she traveled the globe sourcing preeminent works which were instrumental in establishing Christie’s as the leader in the field. Quickly rising through the ranks at Christie’s, she was named the auction house’s youngest director and an auctioneer. She was one of only a handful of women auctioneers at the time and she says the experience was transformative. Then made the International Head of 19th Century European Art, Goldsmith relocated to New York and was instrumental in orchestrating record-achieving sales.  

Goldsmith returned to London in 2003, where she established herself as a sought-after private art consultant, focusing on Impressionism, Modernism, and Contemporary art. The contemporary landscape, she says, is younger and faster, but says her skill is “quieting the noise of the market” and that most of her job is “saying no.” Along with a discerning eye, she is known for her established top-tier collector relationships.

When she’s not jetting off to fairs, Goldsmith likes to unwind with her two miniature Dachshunds, Lulu and Rosie, and explore her Mayfair neighborhood. Recently we spoke with Goldsmith, who told us what she values in art and life.  

What is something that you’re saving up for?
A George Rouy.

What would you buy if you found $100? 
Victoria Beckham cosmetics.

What makes you feel like a million bucks?
An early morning swim in an empty pool at Cipriani in Venice.

What do you think is your greatest asset? 
My experience.

What do you most value in a work of art?
Every time you look at it, you see something new.

Who is an emerging artist worthy of everyone’s attention?
Eunnam Hong.

Who is an overlooked artist who hasn’t yet gotten their due?
Deng Shiqing.

What, in your estimation, is the most overrated thing in the art world?
Verbiage.

What is your most treasured possession?
My health.

What’s been your best investment?
My apartment.

What is something small that means the world to you?
My miniature dachshunds, Lulu and Rosie.

What’s not worth the hype? 
Hotel room prices during art fairs.

What do you believe is a worthy cause?
Any animal rescue.

What do you aspire to?
Heaven.